Beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus



` Dec. l2, 1950 H. H. HARR 2,533,930

BEVERAGE PREPARING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 12, 1948 Patented Dee. 12, 195o ULN-.YI'ED .STATES TENT OFFllCE BEVERAGE PREPARING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Hermanfli. Harr, Verona, .-N. J.

Application January 12, 1948, Serial o. {1?7567 .Il Claims. 1 This invention melates to improvements inbevvorage preparing and dispensing apparatus, and the invention has for an .object to 1.prox/'ide a; novel apparatus. by meansof which .a plurality 'of suitablyfconditionedliquid :ingredients may be drawn trom separate sources or supply thereof, and mixed together .and dispensed, whereby to provide a. beverage ready 'for consumption..

The invention has for :another object to provide an apparatus dor the purposes stated. having a :separate .supply reservoir for each 'of .two liquilt'l `ingredients which, whenfmixed together, produce .a beverage, including mixing and dispensing'means commento bothzreservoirs adapted :to draw the respective-.ingredients .from-.the .res-

emile, andnnebfsazid reservoirs having means to maintain its 'contained liquid at a substantially constantheadvwlrlih resultant uniform outflow messure through the mixing and dispensingzmeans..

`''lne invention yhas `for 'a further object-to provide an apparatus iorthe purposes :stated .having .a :separate supply reservoir .for :each of two .liquid ,ingredients comprising a .flower reservoir forr the Vingredient used in :a :ma-jor proportion in 'thebeverage mixture, and a superposed upper reservoir tor the ingredient used in a minor proportion in the beveragemixtureincluding means for: heatingthe- :contentof said lower reservoir.

Other :objects-of this invention, .not at this time more-particularly enumerate-d, will be understood from the following detailed description Yof the same. l

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown'fin the accompanying drawing, the gure 1 yol which 'is a vertical cross sectional view through a beverage preparing xand dispensing apparatus made according `to therinvention.

Reforming to-the drawing, .the .reference charactor If-indicates an upwardly .open :lower reservoir body .of .relatively large capacity having .a bottom wall` 2.. Said .reservoir body may be of .any suitable .cross-sectional sha-pe.. The .reservoir body .|--2. is .contained within an external casing 3 .having a bottom wall .4. The side and bottom walls yof said casing are. spaced `from .the fside and bottom walls of the reservoir .b.ody and the intervening space is .lled .or packed with suitable heat insulation 5.

The interior of said lower reservoir .body I-Z is subdivided, intermediate .its top .and bottom, by a partition whereby' ydii/ide the reservoir body .into-'an upper .liquid intake chamber 1 and alower .discharge-chamber B. rovided lin connection said partition. li.,.soy .esto depend therefrom into the `interior of `the'lower `liquid discharge fcha'rrrber Q8, is a liquid delivery duct .9 which.leads tremiti/1e upper liquid intake Ychamber 1.. 'The -outlet end :of said :duct `l! lterminates short of the bottom. @of 4.the lower liquid discharge cham- .bei-,1in such man-ner that liquid of relatively low temperature is admitted into .the latter chamber adjacent 'thev bottom thereof. Said vpartition .6 is preferably additionally provided with .a vent or ,port 1.0 which provides Icomnmnication .between the upper .level ror top of Ithe .lower liquid dischargecham'ber f8 .and the bottom vof Vthe .upper :liquid intake rcham-ber 1..

Means yis provided 2in connection with the upper liquid intake chamber 'l tor controlling .admission -of freplenishing .liquid into the. .reservoir body in such manner as to maintain the liquid content Aof theY 'latter at substantially constant head and the lower liquid discharge chamber 8 in constant `completely :Filled condition. To this end, "a .filoat controlled liquid admission valve Il is disposed within the Aupper liquid intake chamber 1 at a suitable level between the top and .bottom .of the. latter. The .receiving end vl2 of .said Avalve .H extends through the wall of the encased reservoir body., .to project .exteriorly from the latter, :and connected with said receiving end t2 .is .a liquid .supply pipe or conduit I3 which leads from a suitable source of liquid .to be delivered into .the reservoir body. Also mounted in .connection with vand .so .as itc extend through the .wall of .the encased reservoir body, above the level of .the float controlled liquid .admissionvalve H., is. .an .overow xoutlet means M which may also Vserve as a vaouumlhreaker. In .similar manner-.,'a .drain means |15 is mounted 'in connection withy and .so as to extend through the wall of the `encased reservoir body adjacent to the 'bottom of the lower liquid discharge chamber .8 thereof. Connected with the exterior end of said .drain means 1.5 .is .a .shut-olii valve 16, which maybe of any suitable kind..

.Superposed .upon the encased lower reservoir body .is an upper .reservoir .body Il, .the latter being provided .at its :bottom end with a dependent .annular skirt or Ycoupling flange i8 which is adapted. `totelescope over the upper end of said encased lower reservoir body, whereby to .removably mount the .upper .reservoir body Il 'in sup- ,ported ,axially aligned relation to .said .encased :lower desert/.oir body.. The .upper reservoir. 'body .Il is :provided .its .top with a .ull-ing .opening .H-, which is .adapted to 'be normally closed. by a removable cover member I9.

A mixing. .and dispensing .means common' to both the lower and upper reservoirs is provided, the same comprising a mixing and dispensing faucet 2U having an intake end 2| mounted in and through the wall of the encased lower reservoir so as to communicate with the lower liquid discharge chamber 8 of the latter at a point adjacent to the top level of said chamber. Said faucet is provided with a second intake 22 adapted to be connected in communication with the interior of the upper reservoir body I1. Said faucet is preferably of the type and kind disclosed in my prior United States Letters Patent 2,416,581 and 2,416,582.

The communicating connection between the faucet J and the uper reservoir body Il is preferably of siphonic character, and comprises a siphon intake arm 23 terminating at its upper end in an extension 2li adapted to be aflixed to the wall of said upper reservoir body Il, so as to extend therethrough for outward projection therefrom. rIhe siphon intake arm 23 depends within the interior of the upper reservoir body Il, so that its intake end is spaced adjacent to the bottom of the latter. Coupled to the out'- wardly projectingend of said extension 24 of the Siphon intake arm is the upper end of a flexible hose 25, the lower end of which is coupled in communication with the second intake 22 of the mixing and dispensing faucet 20. Said hose 25 vconstitutes the Siphon outlet or discharge arm.

The lower and upper reservoirs are adapted to respectively contain the respective liquid ingredients which, when mixed together, produce the beverage desired to be dispensed. The lower reservoir is adapted to contain the liquid ingredient which is to be used in a major proportion in the ultimate beverage mixture to be dispensed, While the upper reservoir is adapted to contain the liquid ingredient which is to be used in minor proportion in said ultimate beverage. Any

suitable major or base liquid may be used for mixture with any suitable minor or iiavoringliquid, and when the faucet 2u is opened, the two liquids in suitable relative proportions meet within the faucet so as to intermingle and produce the beverage mixture which is thereupon discharged from the faucet spout. Cold liquids may be thus mixed and dispensed to provide a cold beverage.

The apparatus, however, is designed, more particularly, to eiiiciently prepare and dispense a hot beverage mixture, and to this end means is provided for applying heat to the lower liquid discharge chamber, 8 of the lower reservoir, whereby to heat the body of major or base liquid ingredient contained therein to a desired temperature degree. For this purpose, an electrical heater element 26, of any suitable type, is mounted externally of the reservoir body I in contact with the wall thereof which is contigu ous to the lower liquid discharge chamber 8 of said reservoir body, and intermediate said wall and the surrounding insulation material 5. Cooperative with said heater element 25 is a suitable thermostatic switch element 21 for auto- Vmatically governing the operation of the heater element within desired temperature limits. Said thermostatic switch element is connected in series with. the heater element in an electrical service circuit which includes the ingoing and outgoing circuit wires 28 and 29, the latter being respectively connected to external binding post terminals 30 and 3| with which the apparatus is provided.

The apparatus of this invention is especially 4. well adapted for the preparation of a hot beverage such e. g. as hot chocolate formed by mixing with hot water, as the major liquid ingredient, liquid chocolate or chocolate syrup, as the minor liquid ingredient. In Such use, the lower reservoir is supplied with a content of water, and the upper reservoir with a content of liquid chocolate or chocolate syrup. That portion of the Water contained in the lower discharge chamber 8 of the lower reservoir is heated to a desired temperature by the heating element 26. Some heat thus generated within the lower reservoir is transmitted by conduction and radiation to the upper reservoir, and this is very desirable when utilizing a minor liquid ingredient such as liquid chocolate or chocolate syrup since suicient heat is applied to the latter to assure maintenance of the same in readily iiowable condition, as well as to prevent clouding, blooming or like undesirable effects.

In the operation of the apparatus, any water withdrawn trom the discharge chamber 8 of the lower reservoir, by operation of the mixing and dispensing faucet, is simultaneously replaced from the intake chamber l through the intercommunicating duct 9, and is delivered into the bottom level of said discharge chamber 8, thus being prevented from effecting any substantial temperature reduction upon the water in the upper level of the discharge chamber 8 with which the dispensing faucet communicates. Water transferred from the intake chamber i to the discharge chamber 8 is immediately replaced in the former chamber by operation oi. the ioat controlled admission valve Il through which water is supplied from an outside source, such e. from a city main or other similar source. By reason of the replacement of water losses through such operation of the float controlled admission valve Il, the head of the body of water within the lower reservoir is maintained constant, with the result that outiiow pressure through the mixing and dispensing faucet, when the latter is open, is held uniform at all times. This is very important, since it assures uniform volume and rate of flow of water to and through the mixing and dispensing faucet, which consequently assures uniform iniiow into the faucet, in desired predetermined relative proportion to the water flow through the latter, of the liquid chocolate or chocolate syrup which is delivered to the faucet through the siphonic discharge connection which leads thereto from the upper reservoir.

While I have described the use of the apparatus for preparing' and dispensing a hot beverage such as hot chocolate, it will be obvious that the apparatus may be used equally well for preparing and dispensing many other kinds of hot beverages. For example, if it is desired to dispense hot black coffee, liquid coffee essence can be served from the upper reservoir as a minor liquid ingredient, and hot water from the lower reservoir as a base or major liquid ingredient; or, if it is desired to dispense coiee with an admixture of milk or cream, the milk or cream can be served from the upper reservoir as a minor liquid ingredient, and hot brewed coffee from the lower reservoir as a base or major liquid ingredient.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. Beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus comprising two reservoirs adapted to respectively contain respective liquid ingredients which, when mixed together, provide a beverage, a partition dividing one of said reservoirs into an upper intake chamber and a lower discharge chamber, a duct adapted to deliver liquid from said intake chamber to the lower level of said discharge chamber, a mixing and dispensing faucet having separate intakes in communication respectively with the upper level of said discharge chamber of the two-chamber reservoir' and with the other reservoir, and heating means for said discharge chamber.

2. Beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the intake chamber of the two-chamber reservoir is upwardly open and has the other reservoir superposed thereupon whereby heat may be transmitted by conduction and radiation from the liquid in the discharge chamber o1 the twochamber reservoir through the contents of the intake chamber thereof to the liquid in the other reservoir.

3. A beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the two-chamber reservoir is disposed beneath the said other reservoir and wherein communication between the said other reservoir and the corresponding intake g of the mixing and dispensing faucet is constituted by a siphon tube adapted to supply the liquid ingredient from said other reservoir in predetermined proportion to the liquid drawn off from the discharge chamber of said two-chamber reservoir.

4. A beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus as defined in claim l, wherein the intake chamber of the two-chamber reservoir is upwardly open and has the other reservoir superposed thereupon whereby heat may be transmitted by conduction and radiation from the liquid in the discharge chamber of the twochamber reservoir through the contents of the intake chamber thereof to the liquid in the said o other superposed reservoir, and which includes a neat-controlled admission valve disposed to deliver a liquid ingredient of the beverage to the intake chamber of the twowchamber reservoir and to maintain the same at a substantially constant level below the top of said intake chamber whereby to provide a heat radiation air space between the liquid contents of said chamber and the said other super-posed reservoir.

HERMAN H. HARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of reeord in the iile of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 940,367 Schlueter Nov. 16, 1909 2,023,373 Notar et al Dec. 3, 1935 2,380,884 Von Stoeser et al. July 31, 1945 2,413,736 Thompson Jan. 7, 1947 

